The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday claimed that the newly-formed NDA government was taking false credit for sanctioning Rs 18 crore for the development of Varanasi Ghats as the fund has already been sanctioned by the UPA-II government.

"Nearly Rs 18 crore which is claimed of being sanctioned by the newly-formed NDA government was the fund that has already been sanctioned during the previous UPA-II regime," UP Tourism Minister Om Prakash Singh told reporters in Varanasi.

"NDA's Tourism Minister Shripad Yesso Naik is taking false credit of sanctioning Rs 18 crore for the development of Varanasi ghats and construction of jetties as the fund has already been sanctioned by the UPA-II government on the proposal sent by the state government of Rs 21 crore," Singh said.

On UP government's planning in the tourism industry, he said the government wants to promote pro-poor tourism and village tourism in the state.